Brids of a Feather Special Moments

This card was inspired by today's Inspiration Challenge - IC337 - Red Envelope - at Splitcoaststampers.  The item I chose from the Red Envelope site can be found here: 
Red Envelope.
The bird stamps are from a set called "Birds of a Feather" by See D's Stamps, and the sentiment is a Just Rite stamp.
The tree is done with a Darice embossing folder and sanded on Core'dinations paper.
tfl

Friendly Birch Tree

This card was inspired by the Clean & Simple Challenge - CAS168 - at Splitcoaststampers.  It was a color challenge to use chocolate, green & white or cream. 

The stamp set is Birch Tree Paintings from innovativestampcreations.com. This is one of my favorite stamp sets because it reminds me of my favorite tree in our front yard.  I just love it!  I colored directly on the tree and grass stamps with watercolor markers, huffed and stamped.
 
tfl

Dove Love

This card is for the following challenges:
1. Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenge - SC377;
2. Splitcoaststampers Ways to Use It Challenge - WT367 - to use rub-on flowers; and
3. DYSU Challenge Blog - DYSU#63 - favorite color.
My favorite color combination is black and white and blue.
tfl

Birdie Get Together

Haven't done a card in a while. I'm rearranging my crafting area. Not really finished, but I managed to find what I needed to make one today. Company coming, so may not be able to make much in the next week or so, so thought I'd get one in today. This one was inspired by 3 challenges:
1. Splitcoaststampers - CAS161 - white with shades of blue;
2. Clean and Simple Stamping - FTL181 - sketch challenge; and
3. Crazy 4 Challenges - C4C127 - spring.
tfl

Birthday in the Tall Trees

This card is for today's Inspiration Challenge - IC325 - at Splitcoaststampers.

The inspiration piece I chose - shown above - can be found here: http://calgarycraftedgifts.com/metal.htm . I love this beautiful metalwork, and the scene immediately made me think of my tall trees embossing folder. tfl
Also entering this here:
http://sweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - It's a Man Thing;
http://2sisterschallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - anything goes.

Birthday Blackbird

This card really was a challenge for me...distressing is kinda against my nature...but today's challenge at Splitcoaststampers - TLC364 - was Wrinkle-free Distress, so...I just had to try it. I really do like the results though. I used that technique to do my background, using bordering blue and mellow moss dye inks and the only distress ink I own, which is tea dye. I then tore the edges of all the layers to continue on with the "distressed" look. tfl

Also entering:

http://thecraftypad.blogspot.com/ - Challenge #157 - the letter "B"

Birthday Chickadees

This card is was inspired by today's Inspiration Challenge - IC322 - at Splitcoaststampers. My inspiration is the beautiful mailbox at Charleston Gardens found here: https://www.charlestongardens.com/index2007.cfm?categoryID=504&productID=4295&action=display.product&cname=Home Accessories,Mailboxes&pname=Chickadee Wall Mount Mailbox .

The sketch is challenge DS37 at http://deconstructingjen.com/.

I didn't have a chickadee stamp, so I found a cute little chickadee image and printed and cut him out. The metallic background was run through my cuttlebug. Stamped and heat embossed "Happy birthday" from Hero Arts on my pretty heather green cardbase and added some of my favorite green ribbon to the bottom of the metallic panel. Popped the little birdies up on pop dots and there you go. I just love the way this came out. Hope you like it too. tfl

I'm also entering this in an "Anything Goes" challenge - DYSU#57 - at doyoustackup.

Dreaming of Spring

This card was inspired by the beautiful picture above that I saw at creaturecomfortsblog.com.

Today's Splitcoaststampers Ways to Use It Challenge - WT360 - was Repetition - so I stamped my cherry blossom branch from Inkadinkadoo repeatedly to make a pretty cherry tree. Dry embossed the blue background, added some SU butterflies with chocolate pearl trim, and white ribbon bow.

The sentiment is Stampin' Up's Because I Care.

The butterflies are to meet a challenge - FBW188 - at flutterbywednesdays, to use butterfly, fairy or angel.

tfl

Welcome to the Neighborhood

This card is for 2 challenges at Splitcoaststampers - TLC362 (Double Vision) and CAS155, inspiration from this picture:

Started out with a barely banana card base, which I dry embossed. Then I used Stampin' Up pastels and cotton ball to color my sunset background on white watercolor paper, then stamped my evergreen trees from Stampin' Up's Plant Hope set in Mellow Moss and Handsome Hunter. Over that is a little house I cut with a cute little QuicKutz die. Drew the "geese" in and popped my window die up over it all. The "Welcome..." sentiment was done on the computer, and inside it says "to the neighborhood!". tfl

Friendship Tree

This card is for 3 challenges:
1. Splitcoaststampers' CAS153 - Sketch;
2. Splitcoastampers' TLC316 - twine; and
3. Color Throwdown Challenge - CTD174 - soft sky, daffodil delight, river rock and soft suede.
First, I used pastels and a cotton ball to make the 3 color blocks, using die cut negatives as stencils. Then I stamped the tree and sentiment from Innovative Stamp Creations' "Birch Tree Paintings" stamp set. Added twine and button, and rounded the outside corners. On the inside, I stamped some grass and butterfly from the same set, and a sentiment which says, "May your day be as bright as mine is when I think of you!", which is from a set of Friendship sentiments I got at Michaels a long time ago...sorry, don't know who made them. tfl

Bird Song

This card is for 4 challenges:
1. Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenge - SC367;
2. Party Time Tuesday - PTT#50 - Birds;
3. 2 Sisters Challenge Blog - Challenge #73 - Things with Wings; and
4. Simon Says Stamps Challenge - Spots &/or Stripes.
My base card is Kraft, the blue background panel is Core'dinations, cuttlebugged and then sanded. The music panel is from a My Mind's Eye pad, and the birds and sentiment are from Glitz Designs "vintage blue stamps" set. The buttons are a couple of antique buttons I had in my stash, that, even though they don't match, I think they go together really well, and I love them on this card. I "stitched" them with bakers twine, which I separated in half. tfl

Butterfly Birthday Wishes

This card is for 2 challenges:

1. Splitcoaststampers F4A98 - "Potpourri";
"Potpourri" consists of:
1. A 3-D Flower
2. A gem or gems
3. Embossing folder
4. Diecut/Punch
5. Designer/Patterned Paper

and

2. Clean and Simple Stamping Sketch Challenge - FTL172.

The stamp is from Hampton Arts "Circle Birds" set and was stamped in black and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. The little white flowers were made with a Cricut and Design Studio.

tfl

Snowy Owl Thank You

This is the second of my Christmas Thank You cards. I used the Sketch Challenge - SC364 - at Splitcoaststampers as my inspiration. Also, Challenge PTT#47 - to use ribbon - at Party Time Tuesdays.

The stamps used are Stampin' Up's Delicate Doilies, and Inkadinkadoo's Winter Birds and Round Frames (the "thank you"). They were all stamped and heat embossed.

I wanted shimmery white ribbon, but didn't have any, so I used grossgrain ribbon and covered it with diamond Stickles. tfl

Birthday Snow WT351

This is a birthday card for our nephew, Andy. He moved from Florida to Virginia last year, and since they do get a lot of beautiful sparkly snow in the winter, thought he would like this. For inspiration, I used the Ways to Use It Challenge - WT351 - at Splitcoaststampers - to use faux letter press. I brayered my tree folder with bordering blue ink and ran it through. At first, I was kind of disappointed in the coverage, but for this card, it actually worked to my advantage, as it looks like blowing snow. Then I did the same with the Happy Birthday folder and cut out a part of it for the sentiment. Added torn "snow" and Stickles and it's done. Very sparkly and pretty in real life. tfl

5th Anniversary Card

Today is our 5th Wedding Anniversary, and I made this card for my dh. I used the challenge at Splitcoaststampers to use embellishments we are thankful for - F4A90. Well, I don't know if everyone would consider embossing folders embellishments, but they are one of my favorite things to use on cards. They just add so much texture and interest. I did the embossing and used chalks and copics for coloring. tfl

Autumn Thanks TLC350

This card is for Splitcoaststampers' Technique Lovers Challenge - TLC 350 - No Stamps Allowed. I used my new embossing folder by Darice...LOVE this ef! Embossed it onto Core'dinations cs and sanded, then colored the leaves with watercolor markers. Printed the thank you and did some more dry embossing and chalking. Oh, and the leaf is from a beautiful weeping birch we have out front. tfl

Autumn Thanks

This card was inspired by the above picture from Week 1 inspiration challenge from http://justinspirationalchallenges.blogspot.com/.

I've also drawn inspiration from
Challenge #22 - Embossing and/or 3 or More Layers at http://heartsonginspirations.blogspot.com/. I heat embossed my image and then used watercolor crayons and an aquapainter on them. Stamped the THANKS on the side, added a cute little glittery leaf button with some raffia, and Voila! tfl

Looking through the Window TLC346

This card is for today's Splitcoaststampers' Technique Lovers Challenge - TLC346 - Stack up the Background. I used leaves in 2 layers, then flowers, then the screen on top, which I then heat embossed with detail silver embossing powder. Made a little window with sill, which I distressed to look like wood, then a little lace curtain on top. tfl

Bookmarkers CC341

I was going to make the blue bookmarker today anyway, so thought I'd try another using today's Splitcoaststampers' Color Challenge - CC341 - tempting turquoise, pumpkin and olive green. My colors might be a little off, but here it is. Stamped dandelions from Hero Arts (one of my favorite stamps) in white pigment ink, then heat embossed with detail white ep. Sponged with inks to resist. Backed with Birds and Vines cuttlebug folder on whitewashed core'dinations paper, then sanded so birds and vines show up in the blues. tfl

Thanksgiving Gratitude CAS136

This card is for today's Splitcoaststampers' Clean and Simple Challenge - CAS136 - to use leaves. Got this new set from Inkadinkadoo and love it! tfl